On many an occasion I’ve surmised that there simply must be a comedian behind some of the financial decisions the Obama administration has made, but I honestly didn’t believe that to be the case literally — until now:

In the midst of debates on financial regulation and China’s currency in April, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner sat down to discuss the U.S. economy — with comedian Jon Stewart.

Geithner and Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” held an off-the-record meeting at Stewart’s office in New York on April 2, according to Geithner’s appointments calendar, updated through August on Treasury’s website.

The two were privately planning the “Rally to Restore Insolvency” no doubt. A glance at Geithner’s schedule, and sure enough, an hour and a half “off the record” meeting with Jon Stewart:

Stewart must have given Geithner a few killer jokes he had to later share with Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Schumer, et al.

This can’t be a coincidence, because especially since that meeting, the management of the Treasury has been nothing short of hilarious.

Word of warning to Jon Stewart: There’s no better way to invite an IRS audit than by spending 90 minutes “off the record” with Tim Geithner less than two weeks before tax returns are due.